Do you have an opiate addiction? Are you worried about what it will take to overcome this problem and reclaim your life? While this may be a challenge, it is one that many people have successfully overcome in the past.

An opiate addiction is serious, but the sooner you begin to make progress the better off you will be.

The first thing you must do is become familiar with the opiate withdrawal process. In short, this is the idea of cutting the drug out of your life all together. As difficult as it may sound, it is far from impossible.

There is no denying the fact that opiate withdrawal can be uncomfortable and even painful at times. Even though this may be true, it is not life threatening. You may feel like quitting, but staying the course is the only way to truly realize what your life can be in the future.

Sweating, chills, and nausea are among the symptoms of opiate withdrawal.

The symptoms of opiate withdrawal can and will differ from one person to the next. That being said, some are more common than others, including:

Muscle aches and pains

Yawning

Goose bumps

Cold and hot sweats

Low energy

Anxiety and agitation

Insomnia

Abdominal cramping accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea

Runny nose and teary eyes

As you can see, none of these opiate withdrawal symptoms are so serious that your life will be turned upside down. Even then, one or more of these is enough to put you in an uncomfortable position for a period of time.

Generally speaking, most opiate withdrawal symptoms last anywhere from one week to one to two months. With each passing day, especially after the first week, you can expect the symptoms to lessen.

Note: emotional symptoms, such as insomnia and anxiety, have the tendency to last longer than physical symptoms.

There are people who withdraw from opiate use on their own, hoping they can deal with all of the symptoms they are faced with. And then there are people who check into a treatment facility, realizing that a medical staff can help them face these symptoms in the best possible way.

The more you know about opiate withdrawal symptoms the better prepared you will be as you get started. This may not be an easy process, but as time goes by you will begin to feel good about your decision. Once withdrawal is behind you, it is easy to look back and realize this is one of the best decisions you could have made.